Tunisian parties sign political roadmap

Around 20 political parties in Tunisia, including the ruling Ennahdha party, signed a political roadmap during the national dialogue on Saturday. Opposition parties, such as Nidaa Tounes, al Massar and the Workers Party, joined the inaugural session of the national dialogue and signed the roadmap. The Congress for the Republic (CPR), which has been in the ruling coalition since December 2011, declined to sign immediately, citing that it will take more time before formally accepting the roadmap. Beji Caid Essebsi, president of opposition party Nidaa Tounes, speaking on behalf of the coalition of the Alliance for Tunisia that includes other centrist parties, like al Massar and al Jomhouri, said that his coalition has accepted the roadmap unconditionally. ''We are committed to implementing and defending this roadmap, '' said Essebsi. Essebsi, who also was Tunisia's prime minister in the first transitional period that preceded October 2011 elections, said that Tunisia will only be ruled by consensus. "Dialogue is not just an option that we can accept or refuse; it is rather an obligation and we are committed to its success,'' said Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki. The national dialogue is an initiative led by Tunisia's labor union UGTT, the Employers union UTICA and other organizations, aiming at ending the political crisis triggered by the assassination of opposition politician Mohamed Brahmi in July.